Snippet #1424937

Marielle led Tasha into the bridge, where the entire crew on board looked up from what they were doing to stare with intense curiosity at the newcomer. A wave of her hand, and Marielle sent them all back to their respective tasks. Then she took her seat and buckled herself in. Marielle was impressed over how fast the alien figured out Yiffierian technology. It was - scary, to say the least. She also didn't feel comfortable the way the alien kept stealing glances back at her. The last thing she wanted to do was loose the alien's trust - at this point still a fragile thing. For one thing, she didn't feel like testing the alien's idea of a quantum loop, or what it would do to jump technology. Then she still had her primary mission to consider. Without this alien's cooperation, she would have no way of discerning where the alien's home world was.

"Course inlaid," her navigator declared, herself impressed by the alien's performance.

"Excellent," Marielle nodded.

"All stations report ready for entry," her first officer said.

"Very good. Sergeant, take us in."

"Yes ma'am," her helmsman said. "Initiating deflection burns. We will be entering the upper atmosphere shortly." The space ship shook as its maneuvering thrusters fired and it aligned itself with its new course. There was an even bigger jolt as it hit thicker air. "Entering outer atmospheric layer. Angle of attack at 45 degrees. Adjusting pitch to 20. Deploying flaps and drag fins." The entire structure vibrated as it slowed down. Plasma flickered out the windows, but disappeared as the ship got lower and lower. The horizon seemed to flatten out, and the tiny blue film of sky got thicker and thicker until it surrounded the entire spacecraft. "We've entered the stratosphere. Leveling out." The ship was moving much slower now, even slower than a standard aircraft. Marielle could make out the features of the ground below them ahead through the helmsman's window. "We've leveled out at the standard approach altitude."

"Well done, Sergeant," Marielle smiled. "Number One, prepare the shuttle for departure."

"Yes, ma'am," her first officer said. He unbuckled his belt, saluted Marielle, and scuttled off.

"We should have the final way-point in sight in five minutes," the navigator reported.

"Tactical reports no known sensor locks from potential weapons systems," another astronaut reported.

"Good," Marielle said. "Let's let the aliens have a good long look at us." She craned her neck from her chair, hoping to catch a glimpse of the alien settlement, wondering if it were a collection of wooden shacks or a full scale steel-and-glass metropolis.